COLUMBIA, S.C. — In an emotional press conference Friday morning, the mother of 16-year-old Julian Keel spoke out about her son’s tragic death, vowing to seek justice for the life taken by what she described as "senseless violence."
“It’s the last thing I do, I’m cleaning up this community,” said Adrian Lake Watson, Keel’s mother. “We are cleaning up these streets. These guns, these bullets are too readily available to children making adult decisions.”
Keel, a rising senior at W.J. Keenan High School, was fatally shot around 12:30 a.m. on June 2 while leaving a graduation party in the Colonial Village parking lot. Investigators say he was an innocent bystander. Two arrests have been made in connection with the shooting, but Watson emphasized that her fight for justice is far from over.
“I’m changing these streets because we will have justice for Juju no matter what,” she declared, referring to her son by his nickname.
Surrounded by family at the Strom Law Firm, Watson announced plans to file a civil lawsuit against Unum Group and Colonial Life, the owners of the property where the shooting occurred. Her legal team, led by former U.S. Attorney Pete Strom and civil rights attorney Bakari Sellers, said the companies failed to provide adequate security, creating an environment where the tragedy could unfold.
“What has to stop is people paying $100 to $200 to throw these big parties with absolutely no security, while large businesses and corporations turn a blind eye,” Sellers said. “Colonial Life didn’t pull the trigger; Unum didn’t pull the trigger. But they did contribute through their negligence, allowing a situation like this to happen.”
Unum Group responded to the allegations with a statement, saying, “We extend our condolences to the victim’s family and continue to cooperate with local law enforcement as they investigate this incident, which was not related to Colonial Life operations.”
Sellers, however, pushed back against the company’s stance, noting that despite demands for security improvements after the shooting, no measures have been implemented at Colonial Village.
In memory of her son, who aspired to play football at the University of South Florida and study engineering, Watson announced her family’s plans to raise money for an endowed scholarship at the university’s College of Engineering. She also launched “Ju’stice,” a nonprofit aimed at supporting families of murdered children and combating youth gun violence.
Watson concluded her first public appearance since her son’s death with a poignant message to anyone contemplating pulling the trigger.
“Ask yourself, do you want your mama sitting on the front pew crying because you’re laying in a casket or crying in the courthouse because you’re going to jail for life? You better ask yourself that question before you pull the trigger,” Watson urged.
Watson, Strom, and Sellers encouraged anyone with information about the shooting to contact the Columbia Police Department or leave an anonymous tip at 1-888-CRIME-SC.